In Answer to Vice-Magistrate Zhang 

               Late in my life I only care for quiet. 
               A million pressing tasks, I let them go. 
               I look at myself; I have no long range plans. 
               To go back to the forest is all I know. 
               Pine breeze: I ease my belt. Hill moon: I strum 
               My lute. You ask - but I can say no more 
               About success or failure than the song 
               The fisherman sings, which comes to the deep shore. 

               Wang Wei

 
                    Translated by Vikram Seth in "Three Chinese Poet" [1992]